1.e4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.d3 White passively guards his center. The main line for an advantage is 3. e5. 3...e5 4.Nf3 Nc6 Black is playing classically, occupying the center because his opponent has failed to do so. 5.Be2 Bb4 6.Bd2 0-0 7.a3 Bxc3 8.Bxc3 .

d4 Black prefers space (control of more territory) over time (opening the position with better development). After 8 . dxe4 9 Nxe5 Nxe5 10 Bxe5 Re8, Black would also have a slight advantage. 9.Bd2 Re8 10.0-0 Re6 The rook is awkward venturing into the center. A better course of action was to play the preventive 10 . h6, and then possibly 11 . Bc8-e6. 11.Ng5 Rd6 12.Bb4 White should strike at the base of black's pawn center with f4. 12...Nxb4 Black wisely doubles his opponents pawns. 13.axb4 h6 14.Nf3 Bg4 This was an oversight. Necessary is ..Qe7 to avoid loss of the e-pawn. 15.Nxe5 15...Bxe2 16.Qxe2 Qe7 17.Nc4 Re6 18.Rfc1 Re8 Black should jump at opportunity to win the pawn back and play Qxb4 here. 19.Nd2 Nd7 Black should play ..a6 here to stop white from playing PAC-MAN with his queen's rook. 20.Rxa7 f5 Black is attacking the center with all his big pieces. He is allowing white to win a few pawns on the edge of the board. This sacrifice does not have enough compensation because White is well suited to fortify his strongpoint on e4. 21.Rxb7 fxe4 22.dxe4 c5 23.bxc5 Qf6 Black leaves his knight unprotected. If white captures his knight black would have a huge problem. 24.Qd3? Instead, Black's knight jumps out of the death stable and forks the queen and rook. What a turnaround one move can make. 24...Nxc5 .

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